I don't seriously think you trully believe that LH is worried about JB. Do you think JB can get a drive in a top team if he leaves Mclaren? The notion that JB is top flight F1 driver does exist only in some people's dreams...

Remember JB was very proud of his input into the car at the onset of the season. He even went further to he saw no reason why he should not win the WDC this year, strangely enough, he seemed to have forgotten all that last week when he called the car the worst! That was an about face turn that Mitt Romney would have been proud of.

you lost me, I didn't even mention Button, where did all that come from?

the questions are silly, sorry. Of course Whitmarsh knows. As does Ron. Do you think what they know aligns with what you assume?

as to him having no idea why Lewis left, I told you before, you spend months negotiating with somebody and you are still negotiating until a couple of days before they sign a contract with somebody else, yes, it's entirely possible to not fully understand why they chose that somebody else. Cause if the issues were as major as you paint them they would have been obvious in the negotiations. Or better yet, the negotiations would have been a lot lot shorter

So to summarise:

"his opinion"? .... you really think he does not know? - yes, he does know .... so its not "his opinion" then is it?

When he said he has "no idea" why LH left... do you believe him? - yes ...fair enough

I dont know how long they spent negotiating or how the negotiations went... so... thanks for the inside scoop.

...if you are going to be so arrogant you should at least sort out in your mind what is fact, what is fiction and what is unverified rumour.

The idea that Mclaren has ever treated Lewis badly is still 100% speculation. I mean, what would they have to gain by not being good to Lewis? It makes ZERO sense. And if they didn't like Lewis, why would they care if he left?

Seriously, it makes much more sense that Mclaren wanted Lewis and are genuinely going to miss him. Which is why they hope Lewis regrets his decision. They want him back.

I'm not disagreeing with the second part. What you quoted was in response to MW's belief that Lewis left for money. Mercedes looks less competitive than McLaren so MW has to explain why Lewis left for an inferior car and it makes more sense to say he left for money and to fly the nest than to say Lewis was so unhappy with McLaren that he would rather risk driving for a midfield team.

I think Lewis must have been unhappy at McLaren to switch to Mercedes.I don't think he would pick a good financial deal and and relatively small chance of competitive car at Mercedes over a good financial deal and much better chance of a competitive car at McLaren unless he was unhappy there.I'm not saying McLaren don't like Lewis and made him unhappy on purpose but I think that's what has ultimately happened.

I mean that Ferrari and RedBull won't give a damn about Massa and Webber if Alonso and Vettel are in a championship fight, all their resources will be focused on their lead driver. McLaren will still divide their resources equally, which would put Hamilton at a disadvantage relative to Alonso and Vettel.

So to summarise:

"his opinion"? .... you really think he does not know? - yes, he does know .... so its not "his opinion" then is it?

When he said he has "no idea" why LH left... do you believe him? - yes ...fair enough

I dont know how long they spent negotiating or how the negotiations went... so... thanks for the inside scoop.

...if you are going to be so arrogant you should at least sort out in your mind what is fact, what is fiction and what is unverified rumour.

it's his opinion so long as he hasn't seen the actual Merc/Lewis contract. He knows what he offered, and he has a much more accurate idea of what Merc offered than me and you

Lewis started talking about "being in negotiations" way before the British GP (can't be bothered to pinpoint the exact date he first spoke about it, but he was definitely talking about negotiating with McLaren back at Silverstone. Lewis himself said he was negotiating with McLaren during the Singapore grand prix. That is "months of negotiations", at least 3. Hell the infamous Ron quote about different economies was from June.If Lewis hated the situation at McLaren why would he be negotiating for so long?

Now when Sergio gets to Australia in 2013 he will arrive with the kind of pressure that he can’t imagine right now. If you are a Ferrari or McLaren driver the scrutiny you are going to have is probably greater than a Red Bull driver and certainly more than Mercedes or any other team. At the first race, if he is not on the first two rows and fighting for a win the pressure will start to ramp. He doesn’t know that yet…

He has been doing that in an environment where natural talent met a quite good car, but he didn’t have the pressure. You come to McLaren and you’ve got the scrutiny and the pressure!

I mean that Ferrari and RedBull won't give a damn about Massa and Webber if Alonso and Vettel are in a championship fight, all their resources will be focused on their lead driver. McLaren will still divide their resources equally, which would put Hamilton at a disadvantage relative to Alonso and Vettel.

I am yet to see Mclaren not doing just like RB or Ferrari were they in such a situation, so that is pure speculation on your part - if that was what you really meant - and LH would not be leaving the team based on an imaginary scenario.

Whitmarsh as team principal keeps reminding me of the Peter Principle. Nice and capable chap, but not a guy you'd want leading a storied top team. Same with Domenicali.

As a F1-fan I love the candid quotes, but he's certainly not doing his team any favours here. He should unite and focus his team, not invite any kind of distractions. Especially those comments about Perez, they will be in the back of everyones mind once Checo shows hints of struggling next year.

I am yet to see Mclaren not doing just like RB or Ferrari were they in such a situation, so that is pure speculation on your part - if that was what you really meant - and LH would not be leaving the team based on an imaginary scenario.

When Hamilton was leading the championship didn't McLaren put a lot of effort into solving Jensons setup issues instead of concentrating on keeping Hamilton in the lead of the championship? Redbull/Ferrari wouldn't have done that. I think that's what he means.

Excellent interview. I am far from a McLaren fan but Martin Whitmarsh is a very difficult man to dislike.

Whether he is tough enough to return McLaren to former glory remains to be seen, I'm not convinced thus far, but he does seem very intelligent, funny and insightful.

this interview is such a non-issue. Whitmarshes remarks are of a friendly rivalry, of course he wants to give Lewis something to regret next season, so will Ron and the whole mclaren team will be fired up to prove he made the wrong call. It's just human nature. As a Hamilton fan, I think whitmarsh has got his comments on Hamilton spot on, if Lewis thinks he's made a mistake next season, then that means Mclaren (mw's team) have done a better job. He's not wishing ill of Hamilton and probably wouldn't begrudge ham victory if both of his drivers were out of a race for whatever reason. Some people can't read between the lines, and interpret things so literally.

Whenever Hamilton was leading the championship didn't McLaren put a lot of effort into solving Jensons setup issues instead of concentrating on keeping Hamilton in the lead of the championship? Redbull/Ferrari wouldn't have done that. I think that's what he means.

I see your point, but I don't think he would have described that as "fair"

"We had five amazing years with Lewis, he must have had his reasons for leaving, and he came close to signing with us several times before Singapore. We wish him the best and relish the challenge of beating him and his team, as he is a great driver"

Something along those lines would have been more appropriate. I'm not sure what Whitmarsh wants to accomplish by saying the things he did. Fine, maybe he's telling the truth, and it's his personal opinion, but he represents McLaren and needs to ask himself if speaking this way helps the team in any way. The whole "he is regretting and hope he regrets next year" is pretty poor form even in competitive environments. I don't get the people who say it's not a big deal.

I don't really understand why the interviewer, or anyone for that matter, is so sure that the chance is non-existent that Lewis can fight for the title next year. Look at how mixed the field has been this year, look at Lotus 2011-2012, things can change even with stable regulations.

We definitely can do a better job than we have. We have underperformed. We have a car that has been quick at most races, quickest at many of the races, but we haven’t nailed it and that is frustrating. But we know we can do a better job and that’s what we are going to do.

When Hamilton was leading the championship didn't McLaren put a lot of effort into solving Jensons setup issues instead of concentrating on keeping Hamilton in the lead of the championship? Redbull/Ferrari wouldn't have done that. I think that's what he means.

Indeed, it was massive. On a Tuesday Hamilton's engineers (probably at least two or maybe even three) were pulled into a meeting (or even two) to compare and analyse Hamilton's and Button's telemetry data. If those 8 man-hours would have devoted solely to Hamilton's WDC campaign, the man would have been a champion already!

Indeed, it was massive. On a Tuesday Hamilton's engineers (probably at least two or maybe even three) were pulled into a meeting (or even two) to compare and analyse Hamilton's and Button's telemetry data. If those 8 man-hours would have devoted solely to Hamilton's WDC campaign, the man would have been a champion already!

Good to see Martin Whitmarsh showing his true face, his sour loser face
Now that he's at it, he should also explain why Mclaren as a Top Team haven't won the WCC for such a long period. If Lewis was so successful at Mclaren why he only won the WDC once in 6 years at the last race in the last corner. He should also explain why when Lewis wanted to sign with them after the summer break they offered him a pay-cut contract? Pus, didn't he say to El Pais that Lewis is a spoiled guy because he never drove for a bad Team or a bad car that's why he isn't as good as Alonso. Well, next year he'll prove himself.

Indeed, it was massive. On a Tuesday Hamilton's engineers (probably at least two or maybe even three) were pulled into a meeting (or even two) to compare and analyse Hamilton's and Button's telemetry data. If those 8 man-hours would have devoted solely to Hamilton's WDC campaign, the man would have been a champion already!

If you read all of the comments...

If you want to know what I think, I think Lewis understands that in a close fight he is at a disadvantage because both Vettel and Alonso will have their teams backing them 1000% while McLaren will be playing "fair", he found a team with the right "qualities" on paper that will offer him that same level of support, he found a deal that made financial sense and moved. But again, that's what I think. Doesn't mean I am right, doesn't mean everybody that thinks different is wrong, including Whitmarsh.

I mean that Ferrari and RedBull won't give a damn about Massa and Webber if Alonso and Vettel are in a championship fight, all their resources will be focused on their lead driver. McLaren will still divide their resources equally, which would put Hamilton at a disadvantage relative to Alonso and Vettel.

I am yet to see Mclaren not doing just like RB or Ferrari were they in such a situation, so that is pure speculation on your part - if that was what you really meant - and LH would not be leaving the team based on an imaginary scenario.

You would see that I was replying to Femi and merely pointing out that Mclaren do act differently to Ferrari and Redbull in certain situations. Never agreed that it had anything to do with Hamilton leaving. Never agreed that it put Hamilton at a disadvantage in the championship.

Can I remind people that when interviewed on who approache the other first. Ross brawn said they were approaced by Lewis's management last Xmas. So it will suggest LH had been thinking of leaving for awhile and it wasn't just based on Singapore. He had the whole year to basically assess the situation. MW insinuating that this was about money is talking utter crap. He has lost not only his best driver but one of the best on the grid to their engine manufacturer .. He's obviously hurting. You never know what you have till you let it go

The way MW is going on about it, I construct those statements as "I desperately regret that he has left us". Judging by how LH is looking so happy and relaxed these days, it is difficult to see where MW is coming from. The happiest looking and best performing member of the Mclaren team is LH. The rest just looks lost and sad...

Lewis is nothing short of a deity for many here, simply beyond criticism. Perhaps Whitmarsh has a more realistic idea of Hamilton's talents and limitations?

Then why did he not mention anything about them? After all, offering Hamilton a contract which would have made him the highest paid driver on the grid kind of shows what Whitmarsh thinks about his talents and limitations don't you think?

Can I remind people that when interviewed on who approache the other first. Ross brawn said they were approaced by Lewis's management last Xmas. So it will suggest LH had been thinking of leaving for awhile and it wasn't just based on Singapore. He had the whole year to basically assess the situation. MW insinuating that this was about money is talking utter crap. He has lost not only his best driver but one of the best on the grid to their engine manufacturer .. He's obviously hurting. You never know what you have till you let it go

His new management shopping around to find the best deal for him (what they are paid to do) doesn't mean it's where Lewis wanted to end up.

No driver despite what they say about wanting new challenges wants to end up in a potentially mid field team having to start over with a new group of mechanics after being in a front running team for all of their F1 career.

Watching Mercedes dropping back down the grid again for a 3rd season has to be worrying him.

Then why did he not mention anything about them? After all, offering Hamilton a contract which would have made him the highest paid driver on the grid kind of shows what Whitmarsh thinks about his talents and limitations don't you think?

Yes. But then again the message you were replying to was just an off topic moan about some Hamilton fans. It's not related to the actual interview which is the point of discussion in this topic. According to Whitmarsh they offered Hamilton financial terms that would have made him the highest paid on the grid. Whitmarsh... the crazy fanboy.

I'd like to see an interview with MW where he thanks LH for the wins and WDC he brought to McLaren. I'd also like to see an interview with LH where he thanks McLaren and MW/RD for their fantastic efforts in giving him a car that allowed him to take a WDC and win many other GPs, despite not always starting the season with a winning car (- impressive and a huge testament to the team). But so much negativity and criticism atm. Why not accept that they are going their separate ways at the end of a contract, which either party was perfectly entitled to do given the contract was coming to an end, and just wish each other every success for the future with some recognition of the past?

The very fact that Martin Whitmarsh feels the need to keep banging on about it is evidence that he still feels bitter about it. I'd be batting those questions away by saying what's done is done, we can't turn the clock back, we wish Lewis Hamilton all the best for the future and rest assured we will be fighting for wins next year and trying to beat him. Then, next time the quesion is asked, he just bats it away agan and says it's closed and he's said all he wants to say....

I still reckon that on the first working day after the last GP when McLaren sat down to review the race a number of the team thought what had they done in not keeping LH given the relatively poor performance of Button and Perez in the last race and a number of other recent races to boot.

This will run and run but I'm disappointed. Hamilton has been good for McLaren and McLaren has been good for Hamilton. Well done both and let's leave it there and hope that both go on to to enjoy future success.

The start of the article isn't too bad.. Whitmarsh is just stating the obvious. Lewis will have moments of doubt. Regret is perhaps the wrong word at this stage. But he wouldn't be human if he didn't have moments of doubt. I've seen it in interviews. But you can't fake the smile and expression on his face when he talks about the new challenge.

But this bit just sounds like sour grapes to me and lacks class: "I hope he thinks today that he's made an awful mistake and I hope he thinks that next year."

Perhaps it came out wrong but considering Lewis is practically a son of McLaren I found that a rather nasty thing to say.. as if Martin is counting down the days until Lewis comes with tail between his legs and asks for his drive back in a year or two.

I haven't seen Lewis looking this happy since liegate. I'm not sure he's regreting his decision at all right now.

It is rather odd that MW thinks Lewis is regretting the decision even though he evidence appears otherwise. In fact he looks like a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. I'm looking forward to seeing if this continues next year if the car isn't so great though.

Yes, I agree that he seems to be much happier since his decision. I think if I look back on my own working career, whenever things have started to deteriorate at work and I've thought about moving on, I've always been happier when I've found something else and made the decision to leave. It's human nature.

Yes, I agree that he seems to be much happier since his decision. I think if I look back on my own working career, whenever things have started to deteriorate at work and I've thought about moving on, I've always been happier when I've found something else and made the decision to leave. It's human nature.

I'd certainly say that Hamilton is looking happier than Whitmarsh....

You may have just put your finger on what is riling MW apart from LH leaving of course

People claiming LH went to MGP for a new challenge need to get some grip with reality. McLaren offered plenty of challenge via regular snafus and LH did not cope with it despite having race winning car most of the time. Why does anyone think he's up for the challenge in MGP? Season or two in a midfield car can do a lot of damage.

I do not see anything wrong with Whitmarsh's comments. He seems to think that they lost together with this outcome especially Lewis lost a bit more than McLaren

What exactly did he lose? He's about to finish out of the top 3 in the Drivers Championship despite having one of the best cars and driving flawlessly.

I don't buy the "flee the nest" analysis. If Lewis was working on his 3rd or 4th WDC at McLaren, you'd need a crowbar to get him to leave the team. McLaren have lost the mentality needed to win championships and everyone including Lewis can see that.

I also don't understand how everyone can write-off Mercedes next year. I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren find themselves as Q3 spectators because the balance of power has shifted due to a more competitive Mercedes team. The pressure and spotlight are on McLaren in 2013. Martin needs to worry about how his team will perform with a driver line-up which (in my eyes) is severely weakened.

I'd like to see an interview with MW where he thanks LH for the wins and WDC he brought to McLaren. I'd also like to see an interview with LH where he thanks McLaren and MW/RD for their fantastic efforts in giving him a car that allowed him to take a WDC and win many other GPs, despite not always starting the season with a winning car (- impressive and a huge testament to the team). .

Frankly his comments about Perez are more bizarre...not the kind of comments I'd want to read as a young guy coming to a team...and it's not as if he's coming from a lower formula, some of the comments (about his fitness etc) seem pretty disrespectful to both him and Sauber.

agreed and its very similar to what RD said before Heikki joined McLaren.

What exactly did he lose? He's about to finish out of the top 3 in the Drivers Championship despite having one of the best cars and driving flawlessly.

To state the obvious, he has been able to win GPs with McLaren (as have his team-mates most years). It is not a given that he will have this at Mercedes.

I also don't understand how everyone can write-off Mercedes next year. I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren find themselves as Q3 spectators because the balance of power has shifted due to a more competitive Mercedes team. The pressure and spotlight are on McLaren in 2013. Martin needs to worry about how his team will perform with a driver line-up which (in my eyes) is severely weakened.

McLaren have won races with Button this year (and every year he has been there) so things will not be too bad for them. I do think they need to be looking around for the next talented young driver, though.

Mercedes could be a good team next year, but it is much more likely they will be in the upper mid-field like this year, last year and the year before that. No amount of recruitment, restructuring and promising will be convincing until they start to deliver. We have seen these promises many times before from many well funded teams.

Also, Ross Brawn has been there since 2008 and the driver being replaced is Michael Schumacher. If building the team is what is needed from Lewis, then the bar is already set quite high.

To state the obvious, he has been able to win GPs with McLaren (as have his team-mates most years). It is not a given that he will have this at Mercedes.

McLaren have won races with Button this year (and every year he has been there) so things will not be too bad for them. I do think they need to be looking around for the next talented young driver, though.

Mercedes could be a good team next year, but it is much more likely they will be in the upper mid-field like this year, last year and the year before that. No amount of recruitment, restructuring and promising will be convincing until they start to deliver. We have seen these promises many times before from many well funded teams.

Also, Ross Brawn has been there since 2008 and the driver being replaced is Michael Schumacher. If building the team is what is needed from Lewis, then the bar is already set quite high.

actually its a good point, we dont know how good merc will be, look at lotus this year vs last

and the challenge thing, its a different challenge at merc vs macca, so theres some merit to that, im not going to dismiss the money aspect, but i doubt that was a big difference between the 2 contracts

Why has every issue got to be seen in black and white by fan boys, the Lewis boy's head hasn't been in a good place for much of the last few seasons both he and McLaren have not been consistent pack leading performers, the lack of performance this season i was not helped by tyres that were so full of surprises they would be more suited to a clowns car in the circus.

But the fact is the Mercedes is inferior to the Mclaren and unless Mercedes find a loop hole in the regulations that nobody else has the situation is unlikely to change. On the bright side the combination of Norbert & Ross will no doubt provide Lewis with the support structure he needs to perform well and if he turns in a better performance than Schumacher did against Rosberg jnr he will look good.
But I get the impression Lewis is winding down his career.

At McLaren I have no doubt many will feel let down by Lewis I also suspect some within the team some may think Perez was not the best choice they could have made but I think he will do fine but Di Resta or Jaime Alguersuari would have brought home more bacon.